A study of the handle characteristics of cotton rib knitted fabrics

Quality and performance of fabrics are based on the mechanical characteristics of fabrics. It has been well established that there is a correlation between the performance and mechanical characteristics of fabrics. A major upsurge in research activity in the field of objective specification occurred due to the pioneering work of Professor Sueo Kawabata of Kyoto University. With the technical assistance of Kato Tech Ltd., a set of new sophisticated instruments were fabricated for measuring the low-stress mechanical properties of the fabrics. Developments have made this system more versatile and suitable to test highly extensible knitted fabrics and nonwovens. The aim of this investigation is to study the influence of knitted structural variables on the low-stress mechanical properties using the Kawabata set of equipment. Furthermore, based on the introspections recorded from the subjects; subjective characterisation of fabrics have been carried out. Objectively measured properties were then correlated with the subjective preference rankings. It is established unequivocally that handle is a complex phenomenon; several attributes collectively contribute in a unique way to form a complex and unique entity. Therefore it is extremely difficult to quantify this phenomenon in a precise way. However, the mechanical properties of the fabrics influence the handle and the quality of the fabrics. The structural parameters influence the basic mechanical properties of the fabrics. Based on the ranks obtained an electic approach was followed to correlate the mechanical properties with the ranks. In light of the research activity; it was found that the structural parameters have a unique role to play in determining the handle of the fabrics. The lighter the fabric, the better the consumer ranking.